8 ms·

The number isn't in the broadcast signal, it's overlaid by the decoding box. It's going to be a number tied to the unique viewing card number (which is tied uni

The number isn't in the broadcast signal, it's overlaid by the decoding box. It's going to be a number tied to the unique viewing card number (which is tied uniquely to a subscriber).

christop 11y ago
Ah, that makes more sense, thanks. I wonder how easily the firmware can be downgraded (or downgraded) to remove that behaviour. Though as noted in the sibling thread, it's more likely easier to crop the video output.
- theintern 11y ago
  It'd probably be much easier to just blur the area of the image where they put it to be honest, I've seen this on streams before, they just blur the bottom corner where the number would show up.
  - jamesbrownuhh 11y ago
    Although the position of the number is (obviously) under the control of the platform operator, so could appear anywhere, for any amount of time, if they were so minded. I wouldn't like to bet against the number appearing right in the centre of the screen for a fraction of a second, if there were any particularly high-value programming being illegally streamed.
- jamesbrownuhh 11y ago
  Distinctly non-trivial. The receiver software is cryptographically signed and is heavily integrated with the conditional access system securing the underlying broadcast. I'm only aware of one time that a legitimate box was encouraged to run a lightly-patched version of the software, and that involved a JTAG-type attack on a specific model of set top box. I believe that lesson has been learned in current models.
  - kuschku 11y ago
    In Germany, almost no one uses Sky, and those who do, almost completely run patched boxes. It’s even easy to use one single subscription on thousands of boxes at the same time. (2012)
sambe 11y ago
That's what I would have thought but would mean the Sky rep in the link is flat-out lying. As mentioned below, it could help isolate groups of subscriptions and allow progressively tracking down individuals. He only claims that it's not tied to an individual subscription.
- alexkus 11y ago
  Sky rep lies about basis of security feature? Could be.

The number isn't in the broadcast signal, it's overlaid by the decoding box. It's going to be a number tied to the unique viewing card number (which is tied uniquely to a subscriber).

christop 11y ago

Ah, that makes more sense, thanks. I wonder how easily the firmware can be downgraded (or downgraded) to remove that behaviour. Though as noted in the sibling thread, it's more likely easier to crop the video output.

theintern 11y ago
It'd probably be much easier to just blur the area of the image where they put it to be honest, I've seen this on streams before, they just blur the bottom corner where the number would show up.
- jamesbrownuhh 11y ago
  Although the position of the number is (obviously) under the control of the platform operator, so could appear anywhere, for any amount of time, if they were so minded. I wouldn't like to bet against the number appearing right in the centre of the screen for a fraction of a second, if there were any particularly high-value programming being illegally streamed.
jamesbrownuhh 11y ago
Distinctly non-trivial. The receiver software is cryptographically signed and is heavily integrated with the conditional access system securing the underlying broadcast. I'm only aware of one time that a legitimate box was encouraged to run a lightly-patched version of the software, and that involved a JTAG-type attack on a specific model of set top box. I believe that lesson has been learned in current models.
- kuschku 11y ago
  In Germany, almost no one uses Sky, and those who do, almost completely run patched boxes. It’s even easy to use one single subscription on thousands of boxes at the same time. (2012)

sambe 11y ago

That's what I would have thought but would mean the Sky rep in the link is flat-out lying. As mentioned below, it could help isolate groups of subscriptions and allow progressively tracking down individuals. He only claims that it's not tied to an individual subscription.

alexkus 11y ago
Sky rep lies about basis of security feature? Could be.